Posted on 11/17/2006 3:01:32 PM PST by Jmouse007
FYI, Michael Wilson does a brief cameo in "Casino Royale" as the Police Chief who gets arrested.
Saw it last night. Excellent movie, well worth the movie ticket and the $6 popcorn.
Looking for feedback from other Freepers who have seen Casino Royal.
I agree about the music in For Your Eyes Only. Also really like the theme of Moonraker and Octopussy.
The Spy Who Loved Me is a great illustration of how the books were butchered. The movie had absolutely NO resemblance to the book. Actually, if the producers had been creative, they could have made a classic film-noir tale out of this particular Fleming book.
Casino Royale has me intrigued. It sounds as though they are finally trying to follow the plot line of the books.
Heck, I may even pay to see it. I almost always wait for movies to hit the video stores before I watch them.
SPY WHO LOVED ME...The novel had a woman as the narrator. It took place in upstate New York. Bond deals with some gangsters.
Ian Fleming did not want the producers to make the faithful adaptation of SPY WHO LOVED ME for some reason.
The producers were only allowed to use the title. (By the way, the title sounds great.)
The Wall Street Journal
With Bond Franchise,
Broccoli Family Says
Nobody Does It Better
Known as Pushy Producers,
They Shake, Stir Films;
The Spy Gets a New Image
By KATE KELLY
November 18, 2006; Page A1
Before he died in 1996, producer Albert "Cubby" Broccoli, who had guided the multibillion dollar James Bond movie franchise for more than 30 years, began giving advice to his heirs. "We have the golden egg here," he told his daughter Barbara and stepson Michael. "Don't let anybody else screw it up."
As the family's second generation of Bond producers, Barbara Broccoli and her half-brother, Michael Wilson, have spent the past decade heeding that counsel. Yesterday, the Broccoli family released the $150 million "Casino Royale," their 21st Bond movie since 1962's "Dr. No" -- making the suave British superspy by far the most durable movie franchise ever.
[Barbara Broccoli]
In the movies, James Bond has survived 44 years of evil villains with the help of a slick, high-tech arsenal of weapons -- watches that explode, cigarette lighters that double as grenades and the like. In Hollywood, his secret weapon has been the Broccoli family, whose fierce protection of all things Bond has itself been nothing less than explosive at times.
Over the past decade, Ms. Broccoli, 46 years old, and Mr. Wilson, 64, have managed the Bond franchise with an iron fist -- dropping actors who don't share their vision, demurring on multimillion dollar licensing opportunities that don't feel right or criticizing studio executives who rub them the wrong way.
"Michael and I have always kept our eye on the picture," Ms. Broccoli says, "and it's not about making friends."
The Broccolis owe their clout to a series of agreements struck decades ago. In 1961, Cubby Broccoli and his production partner, Harry Saltzman, bought rights to adapt most of author Ian Fleming's Bond novels and short stories into films. Mr. Broccoli in turn struck a deal with Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer Inc. that gave the studio rights to produce, market and distribute Bond movies. In the mid 1970s, Mr. Saltzman sold his rights to MGM, creating the 50/50 partnership that persists today.
[Michael Wilson]
Cubby Broccoli's decades-old arrangement with MGM affords Ms. Broccoli and Mr. Wilson an unusual level of autonomy. As a result of a 2004 purchase of MGM by a group of investors, the Broccoli heirs must make two Bond pictures with Sony Pictures Entertainment, whose parent company, Sony Corp. of Japan, owns a stake in MGM. Although Sony must approve all creative and financial decisions, the producers enjoy a strong voice on everything from casting and directing hires to the screenplay and budget.
It is a win-win deal for the family, both creatively and financially. In addition to a fee for their work on each picture, Mr. Wilson says, the producers are entitled to share each Bond movie's profit after certain costs are recouped -- even though they don't have to kick in any production or marketing dollars. Depending on the picture and its costs, the percentage of the profit that goes to the producers and the Fleming estate could be as high as 25%, according to two people familiar with the deal. (Mr. Wilson describes that possibility as remote.)
Ms. Broccoli visited Bond sets as a child and worked as a production staffer while her father was alive. Mr. Wilson, a lawyer and collector of 19th-century photography, has screenwriting credits on several Bond movies and has made numerous cameo appearances in the films. In "Casino Royale," he plays a police chief who gets arrested at an outdoor café in Montenegro.
WSJ.COM VIDEO
[Go to Video]1
Dow Jones Online's Ed Crane offers a preview of "Casino Royale," including backstage interviews and scenes of Daniel Craig doing his own stunts. See the video2.
Contrary to conventional wisdom -- among Bond fans and Hollywood executives alike -- there is no official Bond playbook that dictates how often he must drink martinis, bed sexy accomplices or don tuxedos. "There are certain instincts we have about whether something's right for Bond or not," Ms. Broccoli says. The producers also frequently return to the original Fleming novels to refresh their memories. "We live and breathe Bond," Mr. Wilson says.
That passion often comes with a sharp edge. Executives at Sony Pictures Entertainment got a sense of the Broccoli duo's willfulness at a dinner two years ago in London at which studio chief Amy Pascal asked about their experiences in Hollywood. "I like studio executives," replied Ms. Broccoli, according to people who attended, "unless they're being a-holes."
"They're really straightforward, and I'm really straightforward," says Ms. Pascal of the producers. "We had a lot to learn about Bond. They're the experts."
The Broccolis have sparred with several generations of studio executives. One bone of contention that often arises between the family and their collaborators is whether a line of dialogue or plot device is true enough to the Bond character. For 2002's "Die Another Day," for example, director Lee Tamahori says he proposed a scene in which Mr. Connery -- the first and most celebrated Bond -- gave counsel to the then-current Bond, actor Pierce Brosnan, in a secluded Scottish castle. It was the kind of stunt cameo that would have resulted in a publicity bonanza, but the Broccolis weren't buying it. "It never passed muster, I suspect because it was too radical," Mr. Tamahori says.
[Queen Elizabeth II with actor Daniel Craig, the new James Bond, at the Tuesday premiere of Casino Royale in London.]
Queen Elizabeth II with actor Daniel Craig, the new James Bond, at the Tuesday premiere of "Casino Royale" in London.
For all their firm ideas, the Broccolis sometimes have been proven wrong. They argued with "GoldenEye" director Martin Campbell, he says, over whether Bond's boss, M, should be played by a woman, Judi Dench. After much debate, she got the part and has become a regular in the role. In another instance, former MGM promotion chief Karen Sortito says she had an uphill battle convincing them to insert a BMW roadster into "GoldenEye." The Broccolis didn't want to upstage Bond's traditional Aston Martin. The deal she eventually struck with the German auto maker brought in $30 million for television advertisements and free cars for the shoot. The Harvard Business School later drafted a case study on how the Bond brand helped sell BMW's new model.
After "Die Another Day," the franchise went into one of its periodic hibernations. In ramping up for "Casino Royale" -- the last of Fleming's Bond novels for the Broccolis to adapt -- the biggest decision was how to cast Bond. Mr. Brosnan was a problem because the "Royale" story finds Bond at the start of his espionage career; Mr. Brosnan, now 53, already had played the role four times.
Associates say Mr. Brosnan met Ms. Broccoli and Mr. Wilson for an awkward lunch meeting at the Santa Monica restaurant Drago to hear the news that he was being replaced for a fresh approach. A disappointed Mr. Brosnan left the restaurant in a huff, says an associate to whom both parties relayed the events. Through a representative, the actor declined to comment.
The role went to 38-year-old Daniel Craig -- but only after Sony and the Broccolis considered about 100 other actors.
With "Casino Royale," the Broccolis pushed Bond in a different direction -- largely abandoning the flashy, playboy-with-gadgets approach of recent years in favor of a more emotional tone.
During the script-development process, Sony executives wondered aloud whether the stripped-down "Royale" needed more in the way of gadgets and Bond's double-entendre lines. Despite the inclusion of a few gizmos, including a homing device implanted in Bond's arm and some shots of strategically-placed Sony products, "Royale" lacks the tricked-out cars and covert weapons of past films.
The producers refused to add more. "We felt we needed to make a change in the series," Ms. Broccoli says. "So...we thought, let's just go back and make a Bond film as though there'd never been any made before."
Write to Kate Kelly at kate.kelly@wsj.com3
URL for this article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116381052412426959.html
I saw the movie last night. It was outstanding. Finally a Bond who really can kick some a$$! Daniel Craig was incredible and terribly sexy. The supporting cast was great.
I enjoyed the movie a lot.
Regards, Ivan
Did the movie have it's flaws? Yes.
Were there silly bits that made no sense? Yes.
But, hey, we're talking James Flippin' Bond here. Fast cars, fast living, fast women, lots and lots of explosions, killings, etc.
I give it an A-.
Just saw it tonight, Thought it was GREAT!
Any other Freepers who have seen the movie, please feel free to chime in.
Saw the film last week and loved it and have raved/recommended it to all....
As a Bond purist of the novels,I have been waiting for this dark Bond for years...
Yeah, I saw it the other night and it is one of the stronger films in the series, no doubt. Craig does an excellent job, as does Eva Green as the Bond girl. This is a much more raw, down-to-earth portrayal of Bond. I would place it in my top 5 Bond films ever.
Stunt men pay tribute to Daniel Craig
Monday, November 20 2006, 00:00 UTC - by Dave West
Stunt experts have paid tribute to Daniel Craig's skill and strength in filming Casino Royale.
Gary Powell has played a key role in several Bond outings, including flipping a boat in The World Is Not Enough and driving a run-away crane in Goldeneye. He also worked on the latest film and has shared his views on how Craig performed.
"Daniel really took some hits on Casino Royale," he explained. "I'd see him bruised and cut up, fight after fight. And he'd just say: 'Oh s***, that smarted a bit, let's go again'.
"Someone told me recently: 'Sean Connery sweated, Roger Moore perspired and Pierce Brosnan glowed.' I don't agree but I'll add one thing - Daniel Craig bleeds. He did everything we asked of him and more. Without a doubt Daniel is the toughest."
Former soldier Joss Skottowe, meanwhile, had the job of teaching Craig how shoot a gun. He also gave his strength in the role credit. "We use real guns in the movie, even though they've been adapted to fire blanks," he explained.
"I brought in some SAS chums to give Daniel some extra training. And even they were impressed. One said to me, 'That boy's a natural'. And he's right. Daniel is the only Bond who in real life could pass SAS selection. He's fit, he looks like a killer and he's smart."
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds39624.html
Yes, he was in outstanding shape and literally had his front teeth knocked out while filming a fight scene. Got patched up at the dentist and went on filming. The guy has guts I will give him that.
First, let me set the stage by saying that I have seen all of the Bond films during their first run in the theaters, starting with Dr. No. I even have a personal connection (two fold) to Thunderball (more on request, if anyone cares). I have also read all of the Fleming books, during their first paperback printing. Oh, and the best film is Goldfinger and Sean Connery is and always will be James Bond. Right now Brosnan is second best and Dalton third, but Craig could supplant one or both of them, but that probably requires a second film outing to flesh out his version of the character. Dalton's first entry as Bond was great but his second sucked, not because he was bad but because the film was bad. Then comes silly old comic Roger Moore from the "middle year Bond's" followed by just plain silly George Lazenby. OHMSS would likely have been second best to Goldfinger if Connery had done it. Ummmm Diana Rigg.... ummmmm. Barry Nelson will always hold the title of the first James Bond in the TV version of Casino Royale (1954 TV), but he hardly rates in my estimation. David Niven ranks above him from the Casino Royale spoof (though no one else from that film counts in this regard).
The action sequences were quite good, particularly the opening foot chase. The "bad guy" being chased is apparently one of the folks from the group that does the building jumps and it works really well, so long as you don't question the fact that this guy throws himself about as wildly as he does without knowing what's on the other side of the blank wall or over the ledge and gets away with it each time. But, hey, that's what they call willing suspension of disbelief. Most of the other set pieces work, but most of them go on too long, particularly the poker game (it still bothers me that they changed from Baccarat). I think this movie needed a good editor and about 10 to 15 minutes of cuts to tighten it up, but maybe that much more exposition to explain what they hell was going on.
Daniel Craig reminds me way too much of George Lazenby, with far to little range and only one basic expression. Fortunately it's "bad ass" as opposed to Lazenby's "drunk and stupid." I will say that he is more believable as the original Bond from the Casino Royale novel than any of the Bonds before him, including Connery, but he doesn't embody Bond yet. His finale where he first says "Bond, James Bond" gives a hint that he might just carry it off in a second go around, however.
I do think they did one of the best jobs of translating one of the Fleming novels to the screen of all of the films. Even down to the details of Bond's martini
Bond insisted on ordering Leiter's Haig-and-Haig 'on the rocks' and then he looked carefully at the barman.
'A dry martini,' he said. 'One. In a deep champagne goblet.'
'Oui, monsieur.'
'Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon-peel. Got it?'
That is the exact quote from the book. I think they only left out the part about Bond ordering Leiter's Haid-and-Haig in the movie and that makes sense as Bond hadn't met Leiter by that point in the film. Good enough. And the character of Vesper Lynd is very much in line with the one in the book. I would sincerely love it if they would go back and remake some of the movies where they used only the title of the Fleming novel, such as Spy Who Loved Me. That would be a great follow up to this one.
My major critique of the film is that it doesn't hang together as anything more than a series of disconnected set pieces. there's no overriding theme throughout the movie, no connected threat that Bond is dealing with. Of course, that's not his thing... yet.
I wonder where all the previous naysayers are...
There are some helpings of crow waiting for them :-)
Cheers.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.